Sheet detecting means in printing machines



I June 13, 1950 w. T. GOLLWITZER 2,511,670 SHEET DETECTING MEANS IN PRTNTING MACHINES Original Filed Oct. 27, 1941 6 sheets"sheet 1 lg zbzzar 77 gal/maze,-

Junie 13, 1950 w. 1'. GOLLWITZER SHEET DETECTING BEANS IN PRINTING MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed Oct. 27, 1941 w. 'r. GOLLWITZER 2,511,670

snm'r nE'mc'rmc Isms m PRINTING ucamns June 13, 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed 001;. 27, 1941 fave/0&7? T Golda/41w June 1950 w. TQGOLLWITZER I 2,511,670 I SHEi-I'l' DETECTING ms m PRINTING MACHINES.

Original Filed 001:. 27, 1941 6 Sheets-Shoot; 6

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June 1950 w. 'r. GOLLWITZER 2,511,670

SHEET DETECTING IEANS IN PRINTING IACHINES Original Filed Oct. 27, 1941 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Fi ET. 9

' v IN VEIV T 0R" Waller z'fiollwa'lzer ATTORNEYS Patented June 13, 1950 SHEET DETECTING MEANS IN PRINTING CHINES Walter T. Gollwitzer, Euclid, Ohio, assignor to Addressograph-Multigraph Corporation, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware I Original application October 27,-1941, Serial No.

416,745. Divided and this application February 16, 1946, Serial No. 648,073

This application is a division of my co-pending application, Serial No. 416,745, filed October 27, 1941, which has matured into Patent No. 2,427,049, Sept. 9, 1947, which describes a printing machine of the kind particularly adapted for use in preparation of business instruments and the like of which checks used to pay dividends declared by a corporation are exemplary.

Business instruments of the character prepared in the machine of the present invention usually bear changeable data characterizing or identifying the instruments and which are usually in the form of an address constituting a name, street and number, and city and state. Such instruments also bear variable data, usually expressed numerically, and in the case of a check these data are the amount for which the check is to be payable. Moreover, the instruments bear certain reoccurring data such as the date on which the instrument is issued and, in the case of checks, a signature, and usually such business instruments are numbered, preferably consecutively, and, of course, embody a form such as the name of the issuer and, in the case of checks, the bank whereat it is payable and the like.

The present invention pertains to means for feeding sheets of paper or the like, such as blanks for checks and for coordinating the functioning of the machine described in the aforesaid copending application with the feeding of such sheets to printing positions. As described in greater detail in the said co-pending application, two printing stations are provided at which printing and control devices are brought successively to .perform printing operations on sheets such as checks.

It is an object of the present invention to provide means in a machine of the general character described in my aforesaid co-pending application for preventing undesirable operations of said machine such as printing and related operations in the event of failure for any reason to deliver a sheet to a desired position.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a machine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine;

1 Claim. (01. 161-322) manner in which various operative devices in the machine are connected thereto;

Fig. 2A is a sectional detail view of a safety device employed in the machine and is taken on the line 2A-2A on Fig. 2;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the main drive shaft of the machine and the Fig. 4 is a vertical sectionalview of the machine illustrating the main control and the drive therefor;

Fig. 5 is a vertical detail view taken substantially on the line 5-5 on Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a plan detail view taken substantially on the line 6-6 on Fig. 4;

Figs. '7 and 8 are detail views taken substantially and respectively on the lines 1-1 and 8-0 on Fig. 4;

Fig. 9 is a wiring diagram showing certain electrical circuits and elements which are effected by sheet sensing operations of the mechanism embodied in the present invention.

The machine illustrated generally" in Figs. 1 and 2 and more fully described in my aforesaid co-pending application is constituted and arranged to produce sheets such as dividend checks by printing certain changeable data, as for example names and addresses of payees, certain variable data such as numbers or amounts,

,and other suitable or necessary data such as check serial numbers, bank names, dates and the like on appropriate sheets of paper. In the machine referred to means not necessary to describe here are provided for printing certain data at a station where a platen MP, Fig. 2, is located and certain additional data at another station where another printing couple PC is located. Certain portions of the data mentioned above may be printed by impressions from printing and control devices D that are fed to printing position by appropriate means and are pressed into printing cooperation with the sheets, using, for example, an inked ribbon as a printing medium. Certain other portions of the data may be printed by printing members of other types which may include variable type members such as numbering wheels.

In addition to means for printing on sheets, means not described herein in detail are shown at PP and PM, Fig. 2, for taking certain paging and proofing impressions on a web of paper.

Checks or sheets S cut to size are placed on a sheet supporting platform 86, Fig. 1, of a sheet feeder SR. which operates to withdraw the most inwardly disposed of such sheets from the stack thereof disposed on the platform 86 and thereafter to pass such sheet into the machine. While resort may be had to various types of sheet withdrawing means, that disclosed in my Patent No. 2,342,190, dated February 22, 1944, is typical of the means to which resort may be had for with- 3 drawing sheets or checks one at a time from the supply thereof disposed on the platform II.

The sheet conveying means 81 which may, for

example, be of the character shown and described in my Patent No. 2,211,772, dated August 20, 1940, is not only operative to advance sheets or checks as 8 through the machine but also functions to bring the sheets to rest in operative association with the platen MP and with a printing and control device disposed in printing relation therewith to thereby have impressions made on the sheets as S at selected positions thereon. After data have been printed on the checks 8 at the station MP, the sheet conveying means Il functions to advance the sheets to the printing-couple PC. Upon passage of sheets from the couple PC the sheets are discharged to a suitable collector SC to be stacked one upon the other in the usual manner as shown in Fig. 1.

As also described in my aforesaid co-pending application changeable and variable data may be printed on the stub as well as on the body of each check; also as described therein the platen MP normally makes four impression reciprocations during each complete cycle of operation of the machine, one sheet being fed for each complete cycle.

As shown in Fig. 3 a main drive shaft II is journalled in suitable bearings provided in the main frame F of the machine. A pulley Ii is fast on the main drive shaft II and an endless belt 92 is passed about this pulley and about a pulley 93 fast on the shaft II of the motor I! carried by the bracket II secured to the main frame F.- r

' A pinion 91, Figs. 3, I and 5, is fast on the drive shaft 90 and meshes with a gear II fast to-the shaft 99 suitably journalled in bearings in the brackets Hill and III carried by the frame 1". A bevel gear II! fast on the shaft 5! is meshed with a bevel gear III at the lower end of the vertical shaft iIlI journalled in a bearing "5 carried by the bracket III and in a bearing II, Figs. 4 and 5, provided in the frame F. In a manner that will be described in detail hereinafter, the shaft III is eifective to drive the primary timing means of the machine and other operative mechanisms thereof as, for example, the operative parts of the sheet conveying means II.

A main control and certain auxiliary controls are included in the machine and in the present instance the main control is afforded by a plurality of switches III; Fig. 4, which embody switch discs I026 that are fast on a shaft as III Journalled in bearings provided in brackets as III and IIII. there will be instances where it will be advantageous to optionally produce either a consecutive or a duplicate cyclic operation. Therefore, I have so arranged the drive or the shaft III on which the discs of the main control switches III are mounted as to enable these switches to effect either consecutive or duplicate operation of the machine. By means shown generally in Figs.4 and 5 but described more fully in my aforesaid co-pending application the gears III and I" may be selectively driven from a gear III through means including gears III and III and shaft Ill, so as to provide either consecutive or duplicate operation of the machine, depending upon whether or not it is desired to print changeable data'merelyonacheckoronbothacheckanda Vertical shaft III is provided with a clutch MC comprising separable members Ill and III and In the operation of my machine '4 this clutch is under the control of a solenoid III which normally causes the clutch to engage once for each normal cycle of operation of the machine.

A main cam shaft III which controls the passage of the sheets as 5 through the machine and controls other cyclic operations of the machine may be advantageously driven from the shaft III. Consequently a beveled gear as I32 is fast on the shaft II! and meshes with a beveled gear III fast on a shaft III, Figs. 4 and 6, suitably journalled in bearings as IIS on the bracket III and a hearing IIi provided on a bracket I" carried by the table top '1'1. Shaft II has another beveled gear III which meshes with a beveled gear III on the cam shaft III. The ratio of beveled gears III- III and "HI! is one to one so that the cam shaft III is driven in a one-to-one ratio with the cam shaft III. As described in Letters Patent No. 2,211,772 dated August 20, 1940, the cam shaft III controls the movement to and from sheet stopping position of stop fingers III, Iii and III,

Pig. 2. These fingers operate successively to dis-- pose sheets ass in position to have changeable data and variable data printed thereon at the proper positions.

A plurality of sheet feed rollers ISI, Fig. 2, are mounted in brackets I55 in the manner described, for example, in said Letters Patent No. 2,211,772. These rollers are suitably connected to a shaft III to be driven therefrom at high speed. The shaft I has a pulley I51 thereon about which an endless belt I5I, Figs. 2 and 3, ispassed. This belt also passes about a pulley I5! fast on the main drive shaft II, being advantageously directed about idler pulleys 'as III'to be clear of certain operative mechanisms in the machine. As rum described in my aforesaid pending application, Serial No. 416,745, additional means are provided for reversely feeding sheets S for certain printing operations which may be performed at the platen MP in each cycle of the machine operation.

The sheet S that is to receive impressions in a particular cycle of the machine is fed near the end of the preceding cycle. In the event that such a sheet is not fed, it is necessary to insure that the ensuing automatic cycle of operation of the machine be prevented.

TothisendaframelIII,1 igs.2and2A,is mounted on the table top 'IT immediately in front of the point whereat the sheets S are discharged from the sheet feeder SR. and a lever iIIl ispivotally mounted on this frame, as indicated at IIII. A roller IIIII is provided at the free end of this lever and the opposite end thereof bears on a cam III5 on a cam shaft III. At a predetermined time-in the course of rotation of the cam shaft III which, as explained in my aforesaid copending application, makes one complete revolution in each cycle of operation of the machine, a rise on this cam moves into engagement with the end in: of the lever and thereupon the roller II is forced toward the bottom of the sheet guideway SG afforded on the table top TI. An opening IIII is provided in the bottom of the sheet guideway SG in alignment with the roller III and a block II of fibrous material is supported by a leaf III! of the switch, generally indicated by IIII, to be held in position in the guideway |I ll therefor supported from the table top T1. The guideway I III has a slot II|2 therein and a pin III: on the block IIII The roller I404 has a pair of flanges I4 and I4" thereon which, in the event a sheet 8 is not disposed beneath the roller I404 at the time the cam I405 acts to lower this roller, move into a pair of slots I and I1 in the upper edge of the block I400. When the flanges I4 and I5 move into the slots I4I0 and I4I'I, the lowering movement imparted to the roller I404 is ineffective insofar as the contacts included in the switch I4 I 0 are concerned. I

However, if a sheet S is discharged from the sheet feeder SR at the time in the course of operation of the machine when this should be at- :I'ected, then when the cam I405 forces the roller I404 downwardly it moves into engagement with the sheet and in this instance it is effectively through the sheet to force the block I400 downwardly in the guideway I4II therefor. movement of the block I400 downwardly in the guideway I4II forces a contact on the blade I400 into engagement with a contact on the blade I0 and in certain embodiments ofmY machine this is utilized for effecting the operation of a unit "15, as shown in my aforesaid co-pending application, which may be incorporated therein for the purpose of printing a signature on a sheet as S. In the present embodiment of my invention, however, the contacts I409 and I4I0 are ineffective for I utilize means including the printing unit PC for printing a signature on the check as S;

However, it will be noted that contacts on the blades I9 and I420 of the switch I4I0 are normally engaged, and a pin of fibrous material I42I is extended from the blade I409 to the blade I420 and if the block I400 is forced downwardly when a sheet S is disposed between this block and the roller I404, the contact on the blade I420 is moved from engagement with a cooperating contact on the blade I4I9. This is effective to so condition a circuit that an impulse cannot be set therethrough to energize the relay I I95, Fig. 9, through the contacts I I94 and I I96 of which the stick circuit for the relay II90 is established.

An impulse is not sent through the circuit that is opened by disengagement of a contact on the blade I420 from a contact on the blade I4I9 until near the end of a cycle of operation of the machine so that circuit will not be broken to the relay H95, and therefore to another relay II90, which has certain cycle control functions described more fully in my aforesaid copending application, until shortly before an operation of the machine should be interrupted because of the fact that a sheet S should not be advanced into the machine until this time. The circuit through which an impulse is so sent extends from battery BIO, Fig. 9, through a conductor I425 to a blade I420 associated with a switch disc I025m on the timing switch shaft 002 and it is a contact strip on this disc that moves into engagement with the blade I420 associated therewith at the-time an impulse is to be sent through the circuit. The circuit is extended from the contact strip on the switch disc Him through the other blade 21 associated therewith through a conductor I420, Fig. 9, to the blade I420 and therefore if a'sheet B is disposed between the block I408 and the roller I404 to disengage a contact on the blade I420 from a cooperating contact on the blade I4I9, circuit is interrupted at this point and is not continued on to the relay I I95.

If, however, no sheet is present and the block I400 remains in its aforesaid upper position, then the contact on the blade I 420 is engaging the con- Such , 0 when an impulse passes over the circuit to the blade I420, as aforesaid, this circuit is extended from the blade I4I9 through conductor I429 to a terminal strip I430. A conductor I43I extends from the terminal strip I430 to one end of the winding of the relay H95, and a conductor I432 leads from the other end of this winding to a terminal I433. From the terminal I433 circuit is extended through a conductor I434 to ground. It will, therefore, be seen that if the contacts on the blades I9 and I420 are in engagement because no sheet has been fed into association with time the main platen M]? is caused to effect the first of the aforesaid four reciprocations thereof in a cycle of operation of the machine. If a sheet is not in proper operative relation with the platen MP, the detecting finger I435 passes through an opening I435A in the bottom of the sheet guideway SG and engages the blades I430 and I431 of the switch I430 that is carried by the table top TT in .position to cooperate with this finger. Closure of this switch is effective to close a circuit which brings about immediate interruption of operation of the machine.

In this instance, circuit is extended from battery B--I, through a conductor I430 to a normally closed switch I439.' In this respect the switch I439 is located at a convenient position in the machine so that it may be opened in those instances where only the pager and proofe'r mechanism PM and the platen PP are to be operated to prepare a list. The detecting finger I435 will then be ineffective to interrupt operation of the machine for in such circumstances no sheets are fed through the sheet guideway SG and the switch I430 is therefore to be ineffective. From the normally closed switch I439 circuit is extended through conductor I440 to the contact II33 associated with a relay not shown herein but described in my copending application. This contact is engaged with the contact 32 and circuit is extended through the conductor H to the blade I431 of the switch I430. If the switch I430 is closed under the influence of the detector pin I435, as aforesaid, circuit is extended from the blade I436 through a conductor I442 to one end of a winding of a solenoid I443, the other end of this winding being connected to ground through conductor I444.

The solenoid I443 that is thus energized is effective to disengage the main clutch MC and is also effective to break certain operative circuits that are established in the machine. By referring to Fig. 4, it-will be seen that a lever I 445 is pivotally mounted on the frame F, as indicated at I440, and that a spring I441 is normally effective thereon to urge the end of this lever connected to the armature I440 of the solenoid I443 upwardly. A rod I449 rests on the opposite end of the lever I445 and is extended through v suitable supports therefor in the frame F and has a collar I450 at the upper end thereof which is adapted for cooperation with a flange I45I protact on the blade I0, and in such circumstance, 76 vided on the sleeve 029 of the main clutch'MC.

the cooperating clutch teeth on the collar 333 and thereupon the main clutch EC is released to thereupon render the main controls for the machine, namely, the switch shaft 332 and the cam shaft 333, inoperative.

ByreferringtoFig.4,itwillbeseenthatthe switches I243 (see also Fig. 9) are carried by a bracket I452 on the main frame F in position to cooperate with a collar of fibrous material I453 on the rod I443. The switches I243 include the blades I23 and I239 which are normally engaged to establish circuit to a solenoid 2'" that is effective to seta hydraulic pump 25! in operation to operate the main platen MP. Therefore, when the rod I443 moves upwardly, as aforesaid, the normally engaged contacts on the blades I233 and I239 are disengaged and thereupon circuit to the pump controlling solenoid 2'" is broken. Current to operate the solenoid 2'" is carried from a battery B through contacts 3|, 3|, conductor I239, disc I326 having contact segment thereon,conductors I235, I236, I231, through contacts I233I233, conductor II, the windings of solenoid 2II, conductor I242 and to ground, through certain control circuits described more fully in my aforesaid copending application, Serial No. 416,745.

It will be noted that the switch I243 also includes a pair of blades I454 and I456 which have contacts thereon that are normally disengaged but when the collar I453 engages the blade I454, these contacts are engaged to thereby establish circuit to the relay II95 to eifect energization of this relay and thereby break the stick circuit for the starting and main control relay I I33. instance, circuit is extended from battery BI2 through a conductor I451 to switch blade I453,

reason of the energization of the-solenoid I443 and when thh occurs, the manually-operated switch I433 may be opened to deenergize the solenoid I443 and permit the rod I443 and the parts associated therewith to be restored to their normal at rut positions. However, befor the machine is again set in operation, the reason for energizatidn of th solenoid I443 is determined, and this erroneous condition is corrected. Thereafter the various operative mechanisms in the machine are manually restored to their normal at rest positions so as to thereby issure that proper timed relation will be maintained among the various operative Prior to such manual restoration of the various operative mechanism in the machine, however, the main switch I333, Fig. 1, is opened so as to enable such manual restoration of'the various operative parts to be effected.

It will be understood from the foregoing description that a number of functions of the machine are controlled by sheet sensing means so as to prevent printing operations in the absence of a feed sheet.

Many other advantages and novel features of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art and thus while'I have shown and described selected embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that these are capable of variationand modification andI therefor do not wish to be limited-to the precise details set forth but desire to avail myself of such changes and alternations as fall within the purview of the following claim:

I claim:

In a machine of the character described, a guideway along which sheets may be sequentially fed to enable operatiom to be performed thereon Inthis and thence through switch blade I454, conductor I453 to the terminal block I433 from whence circult is established, in the manner described hereinabove, to energize the relay I I35.

Furthermore, the blades I459 and I463 in the switch I243 have contacts thereon which-are normally disengaged one from the other but upon closing of the switch I243, as aforesaid, these contacts are eifective to establish circuit to a signal lamp I46I- Circuit is extended in this instance from battery BI2 through conductor 51 to blade I459 and thence through blade I463, conductor I432 to one terminal of the lamp I "I, the

opposite terminal of this lamp being connected to 7 ground at III3 and thereupon this lamp is rendered operative.

It will be noted that a manually-operated switch I463 is included in the conductor I442 in th machine, switch mechanism in said machine below said guideway and adapted to control an operation in the machine, means including a device arranged above said guideway, at a point above said switch mechanism, for sensing the presence or absence of a sheet in said guideway at a pointabove said switch mechanism, means coacting with said sensing means and with a sheet disposed in said guideway at a point above said switch mechanism for operating said switch mechanism to control an operation in th machine, and means for rendering said sensing means ineffectiv to actuate said switch mechanism when a sheet it not disposed in said guideway at a point above said switch mechanism.

- WALTER '1. G0IZ-lZ-WI'I'ZER REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the v file of this patent:

UNI'I'ED STATES PA'IENTS 

